Invisibleman

Raised in a home with the Modern Jazz Quartet, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Amad Jamal, and Milt Jackson cascading from the hi-fi; then older bro’s Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochrane, The Outsiders, Beach Boys, and Trashmen. Loved it all: the sounds, the sway, and the signals. Then on to teen adventures: Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Moody Blues, Cream, Traffic, Jefferson Airplane, the Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Joni Mitchell Pentangle, Floyd, King Crimson and all that would sprout from these associations. A family tree began to form. Then, a momentous 1972, the fifth Beatle, George Martin, produced ‘Icarus’ by the Paul Winter Consort, featuring Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, Colin Walcott, leading the Invisibleman to the group Oregon, and the ECM label (Towner’s first solo release). For over forty years the Editions of Contemporary Music label out of Germany has provided the Invisibleman, and the World, an incredible roster of fine international musicians from jazz, classical, world, and contemporary chamber music. Beginning in the 80s and 90s more and more early music and contemporary classical artists were added to the roster, and from early exposure to Airto and Flora Purim to King Sunny Ade, more and more world music began to be added as well. Robert Fripp and Brian Eno’s ‘No Pussyfooting’ opened up new sonic possibilities in the seventies and the branches created by these two artists continue to flourish to this day. By the late eighties and early nineties what was started by Soft Machine, Eno and others took flower in the electronica explosion – especially in Britain and Europe. The Invisibleman took to it at once, assiduously collecting The Future Sound of London, The Orb, Aphex Twin, and other leading lights of this totally new way to create music.

Are there any guiding principles to such frenetic and far-flung musical tastes and collecting habits? The Invisibleman attempts to subscribe to the VIP model which weds three important elements in the music to be brought into his collection: Virtuosity, Innovation, and Poetics. If artists do what they do very well, offer a new approach or unique musical statement, and transmit sounds, sway, and signals deeply felt, they just may make it into the Invisibleman’s VIP club.

The Invisibleman first began experimenting with song and artist sequencing over forty years ago on an 8-track recorder (remember those?) for his own amusement. It wasn’t until the nineties that he allied himself with a cutting edge broadcaster in Milwaukee – best remembered as the Wireless Virus – and began spinning his vinyl and cds to the amusement and bemusement of others. Too much frost on the windows in March of 2000 catalyzed his flight southwest and brought the Invisibleman to Santa Fe. Shortly after KSFR became an independent entity, the Invisibleman contacted the Jazzman (aka John Greenspan) who helped to find him a three-hour weekly spot in the programming lineup. Map Is Not Territory was born in March of 2001. Catch it if your mom will let you stay up that late on a Tuesday